Back on My Feet

Let’s face it: We’ve all had moments in life when we’ve felt that we couldn’t get any lower.

Whether it’s when we’re injured, sick or after we’ve just eaten a quart of ice cream…we’ve all been there.

But even at our lowest or lows, very few (if any) of us have ever been homeless.

There was a recent article on CNN Heroes that highlighted the efforts of a Philadelphia marathon runner that set out to help the homeless through her newly started Back of My Feet organization.

As a long-distance runner, she had run by these poor souls morning after morning until one day she thought, “What can I do to help them?”

Her solution: Get them running shoes! “Running is such a beautiful metaphor for life,” said Anne Mahlum, Founder and President of Back on My Feet.

“Life is about choosing different roads and our program teaches the importance of choosing roads filled with opportunity, hope and happiness.”

So How Does Running Help the Homeless (you ask)? "...compared with sedentary individuals, active persons are more likely to be better adjusted, to perform better on tests of cognitive functioning, to exhibit reduced cardiovascular responses to stress, and to report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression....

Exercise training reduces depression in healthy older men and in persons with cardiac disease or major depression. Exercise also improves self-confidence and self-esteem…” Source: American Heart Association, Inc.

Anne Mahlum’s story is a truly inspirational and motivating one. By getting her fellow Philadelphians to get out there and run, she has instilled self-confidence and a new breath of life into many that may have given up on themselves.

Her program also has a placement list that matches potential employees with employers. To learn more about their program, please visit the Back on My Feet website.

Fitness is a day-to-day challenge with some days being better than others. If you’ve had a string of bad days – don’t give up! Make a plan to get back on your feet tomorrow!

Sometimes the hardest part of a workout is the part where we lace up our sneakers and decide to do it. Just picture that post workout boost of confidence that you’ll get and that feeling of euphoria as you get ready to face the rest of the day.

So whether you’re in a running or fitness slump or just need a jolt of motivation to keep going, I hope that Anne’s story inspires you to get back & stay on your feet!